Sanitaryware

ABSTRACT

An article of sanitary ware which comprises a seat ( 14 ) which is moulded in one piece using “solid surface” polymer concrete. The bowl ( 12 ) is moulded in a number of parts which are then adhered together. Polymer concrete is the preferred material. The seat in then adhered to the top surface of the fabricated bowl.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to sanitaryware.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In prisons and other places where men and woman are incarcerated, there is a substantial problem with sanitaryware. The prisoners break porcelain and the chips which break off can be used as weapons. Stainless steel is used to overcome this problem, but it is expensive.

Few toilets or bidets in prisons have seats as these can be torn off and used as weapons.

Furthermore, some religions, and more specifically the Moslem religion, require the anal area of the toilet-user to be sprayed with Water after using the toilet. Applicant is aware of devices which are built onto toilet bowls and which include spray nozzles and a tap for initiating a supply of water to the spray nozzle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing an article of sanitaryware, the method comprising moulding a one piece ring-like seat, moulding a toilet bowl and adhering the underside of the seat to the top surface of the toilet bowl to form said article of sanitaryware.

The bowl is preferably moulded in a number of sections and the sections are adhered together to fabricate the toilet bowl.

The seat and bowl are preferably moulded in polymer concrete.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of sanitaryware comprising a ring-like seat moulded in one piece, a moulded toilet bowl having an inner surface and outer surface, said seat being adhered to the top surface of the toilet bowl in such manner that it extends inwardly of the inner surface of the bowl to form an inner overhang and outwardly of the outer surface of the bowl to form an outer overhang.

The toilet bowl preferably comprises a number of moulded pieces which are adhered together.

Said seat is preferably generally oval in plan view, the top surface of the seat, when viewed in section, being rounded so that the inner and outer peripheries of said top surface of the seat are below the part of said seat which is between said peripheries.

The part of the seat which forms the outer overhang can have a bull-nosed shape. To form a flush ring the seat can have a flange extending downwardly from the part of the seat which forms the inner overhang, the flange being spaced inwardly of said inner surface of the bowl.

To provide a wasting facility there can be a water inlet passage which passes through said seat and a spray nozzle to which said passage leads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a first embodiment of sanitaryware in the form of a toilet bowl with an integral seat;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the toilet bowl and seat;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sanitaryware with inlet and outlet pipes omitted;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the bowl with the seat omitted;

FIG. 5 is an underneath plan view of the seat;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line IV-IV of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section, to a larger scale and showing the junction between the seat and bowl;

FIG. 8 illustrates, to a larger scale, a portion of the toilet bowl and seat and shows water spraying means, and

FIG. 9 illustrates part of the spraying means of FIG. 8 to a still larger scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The sanitaryware illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7 is generally designated 10 and in the illustrated embodiment is constituted by a bowl 12 and a seat 14.

The bowl 12 can be moulded in a number of sections using a polymer concrete. The reason for making the bowl 12 in sections is merely to facilitate the moulding procedure. In the preferred form, the bowl 12 is constructed using two moulded sections as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The seat 14 is moulded in one piece. It has a protruding lip 16 around most of its periphery. The seat 14 is thick compared to the plastic seats and to the wooden seats that are currently extensively used. The seat 14 is bonded to the bowl 12 by adhesive. It is possible to obtain a bond that even a strong man pulling upwardly on the seat 14 cannot break. The seat 14 is thus, for all practical purposes, integral with the bowl 12.

The configuration in longitudinal cross section is shown in FIG. 6. The water inlet is shown at 18 and the waste outlet at 20. The pipes leading to and from the inlet and outlet are shown at 22 and 24 in FIG. 1 but have been omitted from FIG. 3.

The moulded sections constituting the bowl 12 are mirror images of one another and are adhered to one another along the plane represented by the line A-A in FIG. 2.

The moulding constituting the seat 14 (see FIG. 3) has, in plan, the form of a ring of generally oval shape and comprises a top surface which is rounded when viewed in section (see FIG. 7). The rounded top surface is the one on which the user of the sanitaryware sits. Around the inner periphery of the hole in the seat moulding there is a depending flange 26. The underside of the seat moulding is stepped at 28 and 30 thereby to define a groove 32 which extends most of the way around the seat (see FIG. 5).

The upper edge of the bowl has a configuration such as to provide a rib 34 which extends around most of the bowl. The upper edge of the bowl and the lower face of the seat co-operate as shown in FIG. 7. More specifically the rib 34 enters the groove 32, the inner vertical face 36 of the flange 26 and the inner face 38 of the bowl defining a groove 40 which constitutes the flush ring of the sanitaryware. It will be noted from FIG. 6 that the inlet 18 communicates with the flush ring.

The material used is preferably polymer concrete. The material known as “solid surface” is also suitable. This latter material emerges from the mould with a rough surface and can be polished to a high gloss.

An additional inlet pipe is shown at 42 and this is connected to the bowl 12 via a shut-off valve 44 (FIG. 8). A handle 46 is attached to the valve 44 for manually opening and closing the valve 44.

The inlet pipe 42 extends through the seat 14 and into a recess 48 (FIG. 9). The section of the pipe 42 that extends into the recess 48 has a number of holes 50 in the wall thereof to allow water in the pipe 42 to enter the recess 48. Within the recess 48, a disc 52 is fitted so that the disc 52 is flush with the surface of the seat. The disc 52 has upwardly-sloping bores 54 extending therethrough. The disc and bores form a spray nozzle.

Manual operation of the handle 46 opens the valve and allows water to flow through the pipe 42. The water flows, via the holes 50, into the recess 48 and is then directed upwardly towards the anal area of the toilet-user by means of the upwardly-sloping bores 54.

The pipe 42 is connected to the mains supply upstream of the cistern (not shown) to which the pipe 24 is connected.

A flow restrictor (not shown) can be provided in the pipe 42 to limit the pressure in the recess 48 and thereby prevent water spraying too far.

As will be seen particularly in the sectional view, the top surface of the seat is rounded so that the inner and outer peripheries of said top surface of the seat are below the part of the seat which is between the peripheries of the seat.

The shape of the outer overhang can be categorised as bull-nosed. 

1. A method of manufacturing an article of sanitaryware, the method comprising moulding a one piece ring-like seat, moulding a toilet bowl and adhering the underside of the seat to the top surface of the toilet bowl to form said article of sanitaryware.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and comprising moulding the toilet bowl in a number of sections and adhering the toilet bowl sections to one another to fabricate a toilet bowl.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat and bowl are moulded in polymer concrete.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seat and bowl are moulded in polymer concrete.
 5. An article of sanitaryware comprising a ring-like seat moulded in one piece, a moulded toilet bowl having an inner surface and outer surface, said seat being adhered to the top surface of the toilet bowl in such manner that it extends inwardly of the inner surface of the bowl to form an inner overhang and outwardly of the outer surface of the bowl to form an outer overhang.
 6. An article of sanitaryware as claimed in claim 5, wherein the toilet bowl comprises a number of moulded pieces which are adhered together.
 7. An article of sanitaryware as claimed in claim 5, wherein said seat is generally oval in plan view, the top surface of the seat, when viewed in section, being rounded so that the inner and outer peripheries of said top surface of the seat are below the part of said seat which is between said peripheries.
 8. An article of sanitaryware as claimed in claim 5, wherein the part of the seat which forms the outer overhang has a bull-nosed shape.
 9. An article of sanitaryware as claimed in claim 5 and including a flange extending downwardly from the part of the seat which forms the inner overhang, the flange being spaced inwardly of said inner surface of the bowl.
 10. An article of sanitaryware is claimed in claim 5 and including a water inlet passage passing through said seat and a spray nozzle to which said passage leads.
 11. An article of sanitaryware as claimed in claim 6, wherein said seat is generally oval in plan view, the top surface of the seat, when viewed in section, being rounded so that the inner and outer peripheries of said top surface of the seat are below the part of said seat which is between said peripheries.
 12. An article of sanitaryware as claimed in claim 6, wherein the part of the seat which forms the outer overhang has a bull-nosed shape.
 13. An article of sanitaryware as claimed in claim 6 and including a flange extending downwardly from the part of the seat which forms the inner overhang, the flange being spaced inwardly of said inner surface of the bowl.
 14. An article of sanitaryware is claimed in claim 6 and including a water inlet passage passing through said seat and a spray nozzle to which said passage leads. 